Ride-service Lyft wants to empower its drivers and riders to be as benevolent as the jolly old man with a nationwide program called Lyft for Good.

The company is going to back good ideas that will better communities, hoping to power at least 100 Lyft for Good community initiatives by year end. Drivers can suggest local needs that the program could fill, while community members can nominate organizations or causes to support.

Lyft will have a dedicated staff person to help make the ideas a reality. While the company didn’t disclose how much money it might allocate, generally it would be supporting in-kind donations, such as offering free rides or deliveries to those in need, said spokeswoman Katie Dally.

Lyft drivers already have helped with various volunteer and philanthropic efforts, including San Francisco drivers who transport seniors to medical appointments through the Little Brothers organization and Nashville drivers who created backpacks with toiletries and blankets for the homeless. Next week San Francisco drivers will work with Meals on Wheels to deliver disaster preparedness kids to low-income seniors. So far, 130 local drivers have signed up to participate.

Whenever Lyft sets up shop in a new city, its local drivers select a hometown charity that gets matching donations during the opening weekend.

Cynics could carp that these initiatives are PR to help blunt criticism of the way Lyft, Uber and other ride services sidestep the kinds of regulations the taxi industry faces. It’s also a smart way to help build a brand, establishing Lyft’s identity as both quirky and kindly.